The 8 Best Blow Dryer Brushes, According To Rigorous Testing

Hot air brushes combine the airflow and heat of a hair dryer with the styling power of a round brush in one multitasking tool. The best blow dryer brushes are easy to wield and make the process of creating a salon-quality blowout practically effortless. They dry hair quickly and give it a bouncy, smooth finish that’s hard to replicate using a brush and conventional blow dryer. Over the course of several weeks, I evaluated top contenders in the category, combing through their pros and cons and putting them through extensive testing. I found the BaBylissPro Nano Titanium Oval Ionic Hot Air Brush to be the best overall for its lightweight design and the way it styled my awkward-length curtain bangs with little effort.

The Shark FlexStyle Air Styling And Drying System is an excellent option for its attachments, and the similarly versatile Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long was my luxury pick (read my in-depth BaByliss Pro Hot Air Brush review and Shark Flexstyle vs Dyson Airwrap story here). After countless hours of styling, I’ve determined that these are the best hair dryer brushes according to my rigorous tests.

Weight: 15.4 ounces | Brush: 2.5-inch oval | Speed options: 2 | Temperature options: 3, including cool shot | Noise level: 72.7 decibels

Best for:

• All hair lengths, including bangs
• A fairly lightweight styling option
• Quiet styling

Skip if:

• You’re in the market for a blow dryer brush with attachments
• You prefer customizable heat and speed settings

My first impression of this blow dryer brush was how lightweight it was—important for this category. I prefer my styling tools to perform well while weighing as little as possible. My arm strength is minimal, and heavier tools can be difficult to hold up to my roots for longer periods of time.

Speaking of performance, this under-1-pound blow dryer brush is powerful and gets pretty hot. It fully dried my hair in about three passes and gave it a sleek finish with a bend at the ends, plus some volume at the roots thanks to a combo of a blast of heat followed by a 30-second cool shot. It didn’t bother me that the heat and speed settings weren’t customizable, like some others. The tool only has a low and high setting, which I primarily used and found to be effective and efficient, without being too loud either. The noise level averaged 72.7 decibels, which is categorized as the noise level of a normal conversation.

Price is also an important factor for most. And while this top pick isn’t the cheapest tool in the roundup, it’s still under $100.

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Weight: 15.8 ounces | Brush: 4.25-inch oval | Speed options: 2 | Temperature options: 3, including cool shot | Noise level: 83.1 decibels

Best for:

• An efficient budget-friendly option
• Beginners
• All hair types, and especially thick, curly or coarse hair

Skip if:

• You prefer customizable heat and speed settings
• You want more defined waves

Although I’m no snob when it comes to budget-friendly products, I like to manage expectations with drugstore hot tools; this one exceeded them. When I fired it up, the airflow seemed pretty weak, but the heat was certainly there. After a few passes, it dried my hair perfectly, and I was pleasantly surprised at how minimally it blew my hair around while styling. This made it easier to handle and ultimately led to fewer flyaways and less frizz.

The large 4.25-inch oval brush barrel is great for creating a voluminous blowout with a polished finish. Then you have the combination of boar and nylon bristles, which worked wonders for both detangling and gripping my hair. The firm grip resulted in a good amount of tension, which helped stretch and smooth every strand. One downside is the base of the brush is metal, which tends to get really hot, so I’d recommend working on the low setting unless you have thick, curly or coarse hair.

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Weight: 22 ounces | Brush: 2.5-inch oval, two 1.25-inch auto-wrap curlers, paddle brush, concentrator | Speed options: 3 | Temperature options: 4, including cool shot | Noise level: 82.3 decibels

Best for:

• A more affordable alternative to my luxury pick
• Speedy styling
• Customization based on hair type

Skip if:

• You prefer a more compact tool
• You don’t want additional attachments

A lesson in not judging a book by its cover (or its price, which is lower than high-end alternative the Dyson Airwrap), the FlexStyle totally blew me away. The design makes it easy to completely customize the tool to your needs. It has a rotating arm that folds to convert the styler into a traditional blow dryer in a snap, and it also comes with five attachments. I used the styling and drying system for straight and wavy hair, but there’s also a set for curly and coily hair, which swaps the straightening paddle brush for a curl-defining diffuser. I like that all hair types are covered, and that only the necessary attachments are included.

I used the oval brush to create a smooth blowout and was impressed at how well the mix of nylon and boar bristles gripped my hair. Even the smallest, thinnest sections felt secure between the bristles. But it was the super-powerful airflow that surprised me the most. I tested all four speed and heat settings, but I could’ve easily tackled my entire head efficiently at the lowest speed.

My biggest qualm with this tool is the length. It’s 16.5 inches long, which is over 7 inches longer than the smallest contender on this list. This bulkiness poses certain storing and packing issues, but on the bright side it didn’t feel difficult to handle when styling.

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Weight: 14.7 ounces | Brush: Round volumizing brush, firm smoothing brush, soft smoothing brush, 1.2-inch Airwrap long barrel, 1.6-inch Airwrap long barrel, Coanda smoothing dryer | Speed options: 3 | Temperature options: 3, including cool shot | Noise level: 78.6 decibels

Best for:

• Powerful, quick styling
• Creating a variety of looks, including voluminous, airy curls
• All hair types

Skip if:

• You’re on a budget
• You’re a beginner
• You don’t style your hair often

When it comes to technology, quality and performance, the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long is the gold standard. It feels nice in the hand and is made of quality materials that give some weight to it while remaining one of the lightest dryers on the list. The first of its kind, it comes with six attachments, including a 1.6-inch round brush.

Significantly smaller than the brushes on the other contenders (most of which are oval-shaped), this one gives you a different look. Rather than sleek strands with a bend at the end, this tool creates bouncy, loose curls, and because it can get closer to the root, it gives a nice lift and volume. (However, Dyson just released a brand-new Airwrap for curly and coily hair that includes a diffuser, wide-tooth comb and a larger version of the original brush. This one gives you bigger, bouncier curls that look like they’ve been set in oversized rollers.) Admittedly, though, I don’t love the bristles; they’re thin and hard, almost sharp and don’t grip the hair very well. This makes the brush potentially harder for beginners to maneuver. But it’s a good option for those who prefer a synthetic, non-boar version.

With three speed options and two temperature options plus a cool shot—not to mention the various attachments—the tool can be customized to suit your hair type and desired look. And if you’ve ever owned a Dyson hair product, you know the distinct sound it emits. It’s a product of the super-powerful airflow and comes in at 78.6 decibels on the noise meter (roughly the volume of the inside of a running car), which is perfect for anyone who can’t stand a loud dryer.